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Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who is visiting Europe and the United States, said Thursday his party is gaining support from the international community for its call for an independent investigation into fraud and other irregularities in the country’s recent elections.
Speaking in Washington after a trip to Europe, Rainsy said governments and lawmakers in the European Union, the United States and several other countries supported calls by his Cambodia National Rescue Party to investigate the allegations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wufZgYKbtH4#t=357
“The EU and other countries are skeptical about the election results,” said the CNRP chairman, who toured Europe last week, visiting Britain, France and Belgium.
“They knew there were irregularities and fraud in the election, so they supported the commission of inquiry.”
The Cambodian National Rescue Party has boycotted parliament since the party’s first parliamentary session, which was held last month on July 28. Despite rumors of electoral fraud, the government-appointed election commission declared the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, led by Prime Minister Hun Sen, the winner.
The CPP won 68 congressional seats, while the CNRP won 55, according to official results.
The CNRP has held several large protests and plans more to push for an investigation into election irregularities and question the legitimacy of Hun Sen’s government.
Mr. Rainsy arrived in the United States on Tuesday and met with Deputy Secretary of State William Joseph Burns, who he said had also pledged to support an investigation into irregularities that the CNRP said included removing 1 million voters from the voter rolls.
“He made clear the US position – Washington will continue to encourage [Phnom Penh] Conduct investigations, find the truth, and promote true democracy based on the will of the people,” said Rainsy.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said independent observers noted “serious electoral irregularities” in Cambodia’s election.
“We do believe and continue to believe that a credible, transparent review of the election will help advance the effort,” she said at a news conference Wednesday.
Psaki added that the United States hopes that the Cambodian People’s Party and the Cambodia National Rescue Party will resolve the election dispute through dialogue in the best interests of the Cambodian people and promote reform.
Rainsy said he also met with United Nations officials and U.S. lawmakers, including members of the Senate, and said they had submitted a resolution calling for an investigation into the election results to “give justice to the voters.”
Rainsy said he was encouraged by the response to his party’s demands, adding that the international community was taking a more cautious approach to this year’s elections than in previous elections since the United Nations restored competitive elections in Myanmar in 1993 after decades of civil war.
“In the past, the international community, including the United Nations, has been eager to accept election results, but in 2013, many countries and non-governmental organizations called for an investigation to find out the truth,” he said.
“In 2013, we want democracy not to be disrespected.”
The CNRP president travelled to Europe again on Thursday for talks with Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino and will return to Cambodia on October 22.
Power sharing
Rainsy said that although the CNRP disputes the official results of the government-appointed National Election Committee (NEC) that oversees the country’s elections, the party hopes to play a role in checking the power of the CPP led by Hun Sen.
“If the CPP wants to find a solution during the transition period before the truth comes out, we have to share power,” he said.
“If the ruling party leads the government, then the CNRP must lead the National Assembly, and we must also ensure the independence of the courts.”
He said the CNRP’s call for checks and balances on the ruling party’s power “is not about sharing power, but about demanding that the CPP be accountable to the people.”
Last month, talks between the CPP and the CNRP aimed at reaching a political compromise broke down over the opposition party’s demands for key posts in the National Assembly.
Mass demonstrations
Rainsy said that upon his return to Cambodia he would help prepare for what he called a “long-planned” mass demonstration on October 23 to protest the Cambodian People’s Party’s refusal to conduct an independent election investigation.
The opposition leader also criticized the CPP for “exaggerating” information about previous talks between the two parties, without elaborating, and said the CNRP would abstain from participating in any further negotiations unless they were made public and open to the media.
Hun Sen threatened last month to release an audio recording in which Rainsy allegedly acknowledged the CPP’s election victory during negotiations.
Earlier this week, the Communist Party of the Philippines said it would amend laws and take other steps to reform the country’s electoral system.
Reporting by Huot Vuthy of RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes
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